Charged with a crime in Kent County? Start with the court, the stage of the case and the exact charge
A criminal charge in Kent County starts in one of five district courts, and which one depends on where the offense happened. The 61st District Court serves the city of Grand Rapids, the 62A serves Wyoming, the 62B serves Kentwood, the 59th serves Grandville and Walker, and the 63rd serves the rest of the county. A misdemeanor stays in that district court. A felony starts there and, if it is bound over after the preliminary examination, moves to the 17th Circuit Court, which is also Kent County.
The short answer. Kent County has five district courts and one circuit court. Misdemeanors are handled in the district court for the place where the offense happened. A felony starts there with an arraignment, a probable cause conference 7 to 14 days later and a preliminary examination 5 to 7 days after that, and it moves to the 17th Circuit Court if the judge binds it over (MCL 766.4(1); MCL 766.13). Your paperwork shows which court and which courtroom your case is set in. Do not explain yourself to police before you talk to a lawyer.
I am Mitchell Bisson, a Grand Rapids criminal defense lawyer. I have litigated for over 15 years. My office is in Grand Rapids, and I handle cases in the Kent County courts. I ask early for the reports, the video, the recordings and the lab results, because decisions about your case should rest on what the evidence shows. I do not promise outcomes.
This page covers the courts and where they sit, who prosecutes, where the jail is, what happens at arraignment and how a felony moves from district court to circuit court in Kent County. It is a county guide, so it sets out the court structure and the steps that apply to every charge. The addresses below come from the county’s own court pages and the state court directory and were checked in October 2026. Call the court before you go, because locations and hours change. Nothing here predicts how your case will end.
Where your Kent County criminal case will be heard
| Court or office | Address | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 61st District Court | 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Suite 1400, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | Cases from the city of Grand Rapids: misdemeanors, and the start of every felony |
| 59th District Court | Sites in Grandville and Walker. The county and state listings give different street numbers, so I do not print one | Cases from the cities of Grandville and Walker |
| 62A District Court | 2650 DeHoop Avenue SW, Wyoming, MI 49509 | Cases from the city of Wyoming |
| 62B District Court | 4740 Walma Avenue SE, Kentwood, MI 49512 | Cases from the city of Kentwood |
| 63rd District Court | 1950 East Beltline Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525 | Cases from the rest of the county, including Rockford, Lowell, Cedar Springs and East Grand Rapids |
| 17th Circuit Court | Kent County Courthouse, 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | Felonies after bindover |
| Prosecuting Attorney | 82 Ionia Avenue NW, Suite 450, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | Prosecutes criminal cases in the Kent County courts |
| Kent County Correctional Facility (Sheriff’s Office) | Ball Avenue NE, Grand Rapids. The county lists Sheriff’s Office administration at 701 Ball Avenue NE | County jail |
Sources: Kent County Prosecutor’s court addresses, county buildings list, county Corrections page, and the state court directory.
One county, five districts. Michigan law sets the Kent County districts by municipality. The 61st serves the city of Grand Rapids, the 62A serves Wyoming and the 62B serves Kentwood, each as a district of the third class. MCL 600.8130(1)-(3). The 59th serves the cities of Grandville and Walker and is also a district of the third class. MCL 600.8128a. The 63rd serves the rest of the county and is a district of the second class. MCL 600.8130(4).
Where a misdemeanor is heard. In a district of the third class, venue in a criminal action for a violation of state law is the political subdivision where the violation took place, and in a district of the second class it is the district. MCL 600.8312(2), (3). In practice, an offense in Wyoming goes to the 62A and an offense in an outlying township goes to the 63rd. Your complaint, bond paperwork or court notice shows the court and the courtroom, and I confirm it when I take the case.
The circuit court. The seventeenth judicial circuit consists of the county of Kent. MCL 600.518. A felony is arraigned there after bindover, and sentencing for a felony is conducted by a circuit judge. MCL 600.8311(f).
The prosecutor and the jail. The Kent County Prosecutor’s office lists the district courts and the 17th Circuit Court among its court locations. The Kent County Correctional Facility is run by the Sheriff’s Office. If you or someone in your family is in custody, I can find out where the person is held and when the first appearance is set.
Arraignment, bond and the first weeks of a Kent County case
The first appearance. Kent County’s own court pages do not describe the arraignment hearing, so I rely on the court rules and statutes, which apply the same way in every Michigan district court. The court rule says the court at arraignment must inform you of the nature of the offense and its maximum possible prison sentence, advise you of the right to a lawyer at all court proceedings, set dates for the probable cause conference and the preliminary examination, and decide what form of pretrial release is appropriate, and that the court may not question you about the alleged offense or ask you to enter a plea. MCR 6.104(E). Whether a plea can be entered at the first hearing depends on the charge and the court. Some county court pages say a plea may be entered at arraignment on a misdemeanor, so I confirm with the court how your hearing will run before you appear.
A lawyer at arraignment. An arrested person is entitled to the assistance of an attorney at arraignment unless the person makes an informed waiver of counsel or the court issues a personal bond and will not accept a plea at arraignment. MCR 6.104(A). If you cannot afford a lawyer, the court rule says the local indigent criminal defense system will appoint one for a person who is not represented. MCR 6.104(E)(2). Call me before the arraignment if you can, because what the court hears about you at that hearing shapes the bond decision.
Bond. At arraignment the court must order that you be held in custody in the narrow cases the rule allows, released on your personal recognizance or an unsecured appearance bond, or released on conditions with or without money bail. MCR 6.106(A). Read any bond conditions closely and follow them exactly, because a violation can create a new problem in addition to the original charge.
The first weeks of a felony. For a felony, the magistrate sets a probable cause conference 7 to 14 days after the arraignment and a preliminary examination 5 to 7 days after the conference. The conference covers possible plea agreements, bail and the chance to ask for a bond modification, stipulations and procedural matters. MCL 766.4(1). If the magistrate finds a felony was committed and there is probable cause, the defendant is bound over to appear within 14 days for arraignment before the circuit court of that county, or the magistrate may conduct the circuit arraignment as court rule provides. MCL 766.13. A district judge has the authority to accept a felony plea, but a circuit judge conducts sentencing for a felony, and that judge’s name must be available before the plea is taken. MCL 766.4(3). I ask who will sentence you before I discuss a plea.
Misdemeanors. The district court has jurisdiction over misdemeanors punishable by a fine or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, and over arraignments, the fixing of bail and the accepting of bonds. MCL 600.8311(a), (c). A misdemeanor case does not go to circuit court.
Other cases in Kent County
The same county courts hear civil cases. The district court has exclusive jurisdiction in civil actions when the amount in controversy does not exceed $25,000. MCL 600.8301(1). I handle other kinds of cases in the 17th Circuit Court, the Kent County district courts and the other courts that sit in Kent County as well:
- Operating while intoxicated (OWI) charges and license consequences
- Personal injury claims after a crash or injury
- Civil litigation, for plaintiffs and defendants
- Business litigation and contract disputes
- Real estate disputes for homeowners
Why people hire me as their Kent County criminal defense lawyer
You deal with the lawyer handling your case from the first call to the last day. I give you the strengths and weaknesses of the case straight, including what a conviction would mean for your freedom, your job, your housing and your record. I build the case the facts support, and then we decide together how to proceed. My office is in Grand Rapids, at 2828 Kraft Ave SE, Suite 295. I appear at the courthouse where your case is set.
Fees depend on the charge, its complexity and whether the case is likely to go to trial. I explain my fee arrangement at the consultation, before you decide whether to hire me.
Questions I hear from people charged with a crime in Kent County
Which court will hear my criminal case in Kent County?
A criminal case in Kent County is heard in the district court for the place where the offense happened: the 61st for Grand Rapids, the 62A for Wyoming, the 62B for Kentwood, the 59th for Grandville and Walker, and the 63rd for the rest of the county. A felony moves to the 17th Circuit Court if the district judge binds it over. Your paperwork or court notice shows where your case is set.
What happens at an arraignment in Kent County?
The court tells you the charge and the maximum possible prison sentence, advises you of your right to a lawyer, decides pretrial release and, for a felony, sets the dates for the probable cause conference and the preliminary examination. The court rule says the court may not question the accused about the alleged offense or request a plea at that hearing. Whether a plea can be taken at the first hearing on a misdemeanor depends on the court, so it is checked before you appear.
Does the district court I am assigned to depend on my address?
No. It depends on where the offense is alleged to have happened. In a district of the third class, venue is the city where the violation took place, and in the 63rd, a district of the second class, it is the district. Where you live does not decide it.
Do I need a lawyer at my arraignment?
You are entitled to a lawyer at arraignment unless you knowingly waive the right, or the court releases you on a personal bond and does not take a plea. If you cannot afford one, the local indigent criminal defense system appoints a lawyer for a person who is not represented. Call a lawyer before the hearing if you can.
Related Michigan pages
- Grand Rapids criminal defense lawyer
- West Michigan counties I serve
- Felony defense
- Misdemeanor defense
- What happens after an arrest
- Michigan OWI lawyer
- Michigan legal FAQs
- Ottawa County criminal defense lawyer
- Muskegon County criminal defense lawyer
- Allegan County criminal defense lawyer
- Ionia County criminal defense lawyer
- Barry County criminal defense lawyer
- Montcalm County criminal defense lawyer
- Newaygo County criminal defense lawyer
I defend people charged with crimes in Kent County and across West Michigan. Contact me 24/7 by phone or email. Your Rights, My Fight! Call for a free initial consultation.
Big-Firm Power. Street-Level Grit.
Law Offices of Mitchell S. Bisson, 2828 Kraft Ave SE, Suite 295, Grand Rapids, MI 49512, serving Kent County and West Michigan.
This page provides general information about Michigan law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.